Horizon to connect Mammoth to L.A., San Jose, Reno, Portland and Seattle

August 7, 2009

By Catherine Billey, Mammoth Times Staff Writer

It's official: Horizon Air will expand air service this winter to and from Mammoth Yosemite Airport.

As of Dec. 17, 2009, a daily nonstop morning flight will come from Los Angeles that will augment the afternoon flight that proved popular last winter.

Also, new daily nonstop service will come from San Jose and Reno, in addition to direct service (same plane, with one stop) coming from Seattle (via Reno) and Portland (via San Jose).

Winter air service will continue through April 11, 2010.

Mammoth Mountain Ski Area agreed to subsidize the Los Angeles route last year, but at the end of the season did not pay anything because flights were at a higher occupancy than expected.

"This year we do have some financial risks for subsidy with the new routes the additional L.A. flight and the San Jose flight", said Daniel Hansen of Mammoth Mountain. "But the additional flight to Reno and the routes to Seattle and Portland just work with Horizon's scheduling."

"We've definitely been getting a lot of feedback from people who really like the winter service to Mammoth Yosemite Airport," Horizon Air Media Relations Manager Jen Boyer said in a phone interview. "Also, how it cuts travel time out and allows for more time on the Mountain."

"Our Southern California customers have made no secret of how much they've appreciated having such quick and easy access to this world-class recreation area", said Dan Russo, Horizon's vice president of marketing and communication. "Now, with Horizon Air's expanded service, winter sports enthusiasts from Northern California and the Pacific Northwest will be able to enjoy the same convenience."

The service beyond Los Angeles is expected to introduce thousands of new visitors to Mammoth who might not otherwise have considered it for a winter vacation. "And Mammoth locals will have a way  into the Bay Area over the Sierra Nevada once the passes have closed, not to mention direct routes into the Pacific Northwest."

All flights will be operated on the 76-seat Bombardier Q400, a high-speed twin-engine turboprop that burns 30 to 40 percent less fuel and an equally lower a